Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Civil society organization, African Centre for Human Advancement and Resource Support (CHARS-Africa), has urged the Abia State Government to emulate Imo State on the ban on graduation of pupils in non-exam classes and the yearly change of textbooks.
It also commended the Imo State Ministry of Education for placing firm guidelines on the conduct of graduation ceremonies and textbook usage in both public and private primary and secondary schools in the state.
The policy, according to the CSO, will help curb extortion by school proprietors and management.
CHARS-Africa, in a statement by its Executive Director, Amaka Biachi, decried the activities of greedy school owners and operators.
It commended the Imo State Government for the intervention, saying that the new policy has brought huge relief to parents.
The statement read: “This policy has brought relief to parents and guardians in Imo State who have long been subjected to extortionist practices by some school proprietors under the guise of multiple ceremonies and the compulsory purchase of new textbooks yearly.
“We commend the Imo State Government for this bold initiative and call on His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, the Governor of Abia State, and all relevant stakeholders in the education sector to immediately emulate and adapt this policy within Abia State.”
The CSO frowned at incessant graduation ceremonies by schools in Abia, which it said had become burdensome to parents and guardians.
“It has become commonplace for schools in Abia State, especially private and faith-based institutions, to organize multiple ‘graduation ceremonies’ for Kindergarten, Nursery, Basic 6, and Junior Secondary students—an unnecessary culture that imposes heavy financial burdens on parents.
“Alongside this is the compulsory annual purchase of new textbooks, often dictated by proprietors and teachers in connivance with publishers, thereby rendering well-used books not transferable to younger siblings.
“This exploitative practice has left many parents struggling financially, with some slipping into debt, bankruptcy, and hardship just to meet school demands—an action we consider unconscionable.”
The CSO argued that “the current practices offend the spirit and letters of several extant laws and policies in Nigeria, including: Section 18(1) and (3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which guarantees government’s duty to ensure equal and affordable educational opportunities at all levels.”
It further argued that: “Section 2 of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, 2004, mandates free, compulsory, and universal basic education for every Nigerian child of primary and junior secondary school age, thereby discouraging undue financial exploitation of parents.”
The group also noted that: “The Consumer Protection Council Act, 2019, protects citizens from unfair, arbitrary, and oppressive trade practices.
“Forcing parents to buy new textbooks yearly, when old ones are still in circulation and valid, clearly constitutes an unfair practice,” it concluded.
The statement further read: “CHARS-Africa strongly believes that education should not be commercialized at the expense of parents and guardians. Graduation ceremonies should be reserved only for Primary 6 pupils and SSS 3 students, in line with the 6-3-3-4 system of education. Similarly, textbooks should be standardized and allowed to be in use for at least four consecutive years, to enable siblings and subsequent learners benefit from them.”
The Abia State Government, through the Ministry of Education, must issue immediate regulations to:
It, therefore, demanded that the Abia Government “abolish graduation ceremonies for creche, kindergarten or nursery, and JSS 3 students; mandate standardized textbook lists with a minimum of at least a four-year usage lifespan; and establish monitoring and enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance by both public and private schools.”
It also called on “Governor Alex Otti, the Abia State House of Assembly, the State Ministry of Education, the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB), civil society organizations, and school proprietors to urgently work together to stop this legalized extortion in our schools.”
“Education is not meant to be an avenue for exploitation but a right and for public good. The duty of government, as reaffirmed in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, is to ensure the security and welfare of the people. Protecting parents from these exploitative practices is therefore a constitutional obligation, not a favour.
“As we commend the Imo State Government for setting this precedent, we urge Abia State to rise to the occasion. The time has come to prioritize equity, affordability, and fairness in education. Our children deserve a system that uplifts them, not one that bankrupts their parents.”
